— Eco-friendly gift suggestions: birdfeeders and seeds, a worm composting bin; ‘coupons’ for washing dishes or shoveling the driveway or babysitting, etc.; fill a mason jar with something thoughtful like specialty salts, sugars or dry rubs for your favorite foodie’s cooking needs or a whole wheat choco chip pancake mix, or a mulling spice for apple cider, homemade sugar and salt scrub (leaves skin refreshed, vibrant, and soft).
— Americans throw away 13 million tons of textiles every year, accounting for 9 percent of total non-recycled waste. Consider upcycling old sweaters. Sweater projects are eco-friendly and warm. Various upcycle sweater projects include: purses, pet beds, mufflers, mittens, babyclothes and fingerless gloves.
— From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent — an added 1 million tons a week to our landfills.
— 40 percent of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Consider buying rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts and give a battery charger as well.
Information provided by ReGroup, a nonprofit educational group, formed in 1989 to develop public awareness of waste reduction, reuse and recycling benefits on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. ReGroup meets every third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Hope Community Resources Community Center on Princeton Avenue off Kalifornsky Beach Road. Find ReGroup at regroupalaska.org or contact at regroupkenaipeninsula@gmail.com.
